The Acheron’s closing got you down? (RIP BBs.) Well, here’s your chance to thrash the pain away with a seriously brutal hardcore show happening this weekend at Sunnyvale (that new-ish kid on the block). As a fire-safe venue with lounge chairs, art installations, a killer backline and, like, legit permits n’ stuff, this may not be the punkest setting, but the place has good bones and great vibes. Oh, and Sunnyvale used to be a super nasty underground punk club too, so there’s that.

What’s the week after Thanksgiving without a punk show to prove you’re not Momma’s Little Girl anymore? Forget all of the ways in which you were infantilized by your family over the weekend and embrace your undying rebellious side instead. You’ll be treated to “creepy crawlycore” from Gag, the Olympia, Washington-based band with a penchant for gurgles, growls, and cackles over primitive, angry-toddler drums, plus actual shredding (and a lot of it, too).

If you close your eyes and listen to Glue, you’ll definitely be all, “Oh yeah, this is some stuff from that Dawn of Humans scene.” Surprise, though, guys! Glue’s from Austin and is certainly not producing what’s been happening down their in terms of horror-hardcore (see: Burnt Skull). But that’s cool, coz we like NYCHC too!

Now that your gasps are out of the way, consider Strutter. It’s a perfect name for this GG-sounding hardcore band, another act from Austin. I can totally picture frontman Sam Pennington swaggering like a horny pigeon on stage. Get it girl. Their demos are a few months old, butSlavhave managed to keep the thick layer of rot atop these tracks completely in-tact. With radio-ready hits like “Yes, Officer” these guys are sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Are you looking for spooky Halloween-themed shows? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. Stay tuned for our guide to legit everything worth going to this Hallows’ weekend. But for now, sate yourself with these totally, 100 percent normal show happenings. Well, strictly speaking they’re not “normal” at all, but you can pretend like it’s not Sexy Something Day for just one minute and stuff your ears with tunes instead of candy corn.

Our only utterance of advice for this week: pack em in, kids. If you’re as unsettled about the end of summer as we are, consider taking some of that aggression out at any number of these shows (there’s enough punk to go around for all of yous) or, better yet, gaze at some of these truly gnarly noise-makers in awe of frustrations much deeper than your own. Best, best, best of all, though: see what happens after a legendary rapper denounces her medium but returns to the stage anyway for something altogether new. Cheers to spiteful finales.

Here’s to hoping you took this past weekend to cram your butt, beach umbrellas, and coolers full of malt liquor onto the A train, also known as the Express Train to Beach Salvation. Lord knows nearly all of Brooklyn decided this was the way to go. I’ve got the bite marks to prove it. If you didn’t get your Rockaway kicks in along with the rest of us, chances are you’re gonna miss out big time on a weekend of epic gigs on the horizon. Trust us, this is the time to play hooky, because how else are you possibly going to realize your Best Summer Ever without skipping out on your earthly responsibilities? You’ve really dug yourself a hole, haven’t you? Here are the shows happening this week that’ll get you out of it.

Welcome back to IRL. Here’s to hoping you had a good one being equal parts proud to live in a country where you don’t have to think too hard about what went into your readily available Apple phone and palm oil snacks, and all “pshhh” about the whole affair. We’re also fingers-crossed that you didn’t go too DIY on fireworks after a failed reconnaissance mission ‘cross the Pennsylvania border (really, you gotta know a guy to get anything close to decent fireworks ’round these parts)– because fingers and toes are maybe more valuable than even the most awe-inducing homemade mortar blast or Roman candle to your unsuspecting friend’s face. In the interest of such things, maybe you didn’t get your kicks, but fear not, there are better, much safer ways to get your thrills via rock n’ roll. Take this week to scoot your butt to some shows and allow yourself to revel. Believe us, it’ll make up at least a little bit for this increasingly less-explosive holiday.

Salad Days premieres tomorrow at DOC NYC , and as we mentioned in this week’s Reel Psyched, it’s definitely on our short list of must see-films. Given our devotion to all things East Village and Lower East Side, we thought it might be cool to talk to filmmaker Scott Crawford about the D.C. hardcore scene of the ’80s and see how it compared to the punk scene in New York City.Keep Reading »

Advertisement

Most Popular Topics

FOLLOW US ON

About B + B

Bedford + Bowery is where downtown Manhattan and north Brooklyn intersect. Produced by NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in collaboration with New York magazine, B + B covers the East Village, Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and beyond. Want to contribute? Send a tip? E-mail the editor.